Never Forget
by SasuNaruIsMyLife19
Summary: READ AFTER OUT OF REACH: After their chance meeting, Sasuke hasn't been the same. His father's acknowledgement has little effect, and his happiness is gone. Naruto's future is looking brighter than ever, with Hinata by his side and his business success. But when their paths cross once more, everything is thrown into a chaotic torrent of emotions, and forgotten love is remembered.


**A/N: I'm back! Yet again :) With the third and final part of the Far Away trilogy! We made it guys! :) I just want to say a big thank you to all of my followers, I love you all! Thank you for your continued support and reviews. I appreciate every single one I get. I hope you enjoy the last instalment of my little series. I worked really hard don it and I hope it meets everyone's expectations. For anyone who's wondering I am still continuing 'Destined To Be' and I'm gonna go back to it now since this little distractor story is done and dusted. :) Thank you to everyone once again and you may begin reading…**

Dark, foreshadowing clouds loomed over the dismal grey skyline of Konoha. Rain drizzled endlessly down on the city, sliding down in droplets against the large windows of the Uchiha Corps International Headquarters. Although they had headquarters in America, China and Europe, Japan was their founding country and where most of the business was dealt with in.

Sasuke Uchiha sat at his desk, in his rather large, personal office. He had his hands linked together in front of his face, elbows resting on top of the desk. A blank expression was etched onto his face as he stared up into the face of person for whom he had sacrificed so much for. The man that had, effectively, been the cause of the loss of everything important in Sasuke's life. He had always deemed him as not being good enough, so Sasuke had made it his goal in life to change that no matter what he had to endure.

The man in question was sitting opposite him, in a large leather chair similar to the one Sasuke was occupying. His dark, ebony hair e wore the same mask of indifference Sasuke did as he read over the latest market trends.

Fugaku Uchiha, head of the Uchiha Corporation, and Sasuke's father.

"This is good, Sasuke. Sales have definitely increased over in Kyoto, good job." The strong, emotionless voice of his father boomed through the room while he flipped through the sheets that were attached to his clipboard.

Sasuke said nothing. He merely stared vacantly at his father, hearing the words he said but not really paying attention. It was all so pointless. Nothing he did had any meaning anymore. His father's praise becoming more and more frequent hadn't the slightest effect on him. It was all just routine that he followed. His life had become as dull as the grey sky that constantly lingered in the winter season that was currently plaguing Konoha.

There was no longer any ray of sunlight that inexplicably found a way to shine its light down upon him. He was gone, shining his sun down upon someone else.

Sasuke clenched the hand he was resting on his knee into a fist, effectively blocking it from view under his desk.

It had been a month since his chance encounter with Naruto. Well, it wasn't so much chance, rather meticulous research to find out where the blonde was. As soon as Sasuke had completely overturned the market productivity in America he had booked the first flight back to Konoha, Japan. Then, he had called up on his many connections he had formed over the years that owed him a favour to determine the location of one Naruto Uzumaki.

It had been three years and Sasuke had gained substantial leverage as a prominent and important figure in the business world, so naturally that meant he had gained much more respect from other prominent figures. He had them find out where he lived, where he worked and anything in between. He would not give up until he found him.

When he heard that Naruto had opened up his own business, he was fairly shocked. Naruto had told him once that it had been his dream to open up his own "business", as he had put it, which made Sasuke's mask falter for a second and almost let the barest of smiles grace his features. Of course it was just Naruto to break the status quo of a traditional café owner. He had had it running for roughly two years, and it was fairly successful. It almost made Sasuke glad that they broke up, as it had given Naruto the drive to chase after his dream.

But it didn't make Sasuke glad, because they did break up.

Two weeks after his return to Konoha he received solid information on the whereabouts of Naruto. He had basically whipped the papers out of the hands of the stuttering secretary, eyes frantically scanning the pages. The idea of seeing Naruto after three years had Sasuke feeling uncharacteristically scared.

What would he say? What would he do? Would he be happy, sad, angry? Would he just start yelling and screaming at Sasuke? Would he barely greet his presence, ignoring him as Sasuke had done so many times to him? Or would he just look at him with those sad eyes that had broken Sasuke's heart that day?

A day later Sasuke had swallowed his pride and went off to see Naruto. Although he planned to go early his father had told him there were meetings to attend to that Sasuke had put off long enough. He may have returned to Konoha but that didn't mean his workload had decreased. The day was almost over by the time Sasuke was finished, but he was resolute.

He would see Naruto today, no matter what. So when his car had failed to start he had forgone driving and trudged through the rain to the café where Naruto was, hopefully, still working at.

Seeing him instantly made any doubts in Sasuke's mind vanish. Naruto was alone in the café, and hadn't noticed Sasuke's appearance yet. He looked exactly the same as he did three years ago. Same golden hair that always seemed to shine. Same sparkling eyes that lit up a room. Everything. He was still as perfect as Sasuke had remembered.

Then when he spoke to Sasuke he had to turn away, even though he was sure Naruto didn't recognise him anyway. He had become increasingly anxious, but tried to hide it as best he could. Naruto had then become very irritated and walked over to see to his customer. But when Sasuke had raised his head to reveal himself, Naruto had been rendered speechless. Then they had just stared at each other, for a very long time.

Then they had started talking and Sasuke felt as if a light had been lit inside him once more. It was so good to hear Naruto's voice, to hear him talk in the same way he always did. First Naruto was shocked, then he had become very angry. But Sasuke would not leave. Not until he knew.

So they talked, albeit a bit awkwardly but they actually talked civilly.

But when Sasuke heard that Naruto was in fact dating someone, a girl no less, Sasuke had felt his heart shatter into a million pieces all over again.

Why? Why was it that Sasuke could never make the right decision? Everything he had done had been wrong ever since he and Naruto had broken up. Every time he thought he was making the right move, everything would turn against him and throw him against the wall again. Sasuke was enraged that Naruto could move on so easily when Sasuke couldn't even look at another guy. He was maddened that some girl had just come out of nowhere and had taken his most precious person away from him. But what hurt the most was when Naruto said that Sasuke had never loved him.

And then he realised. There wasn't a place for him in Naruto's life anymore. There was no chance that he would forgive Sasuke for what he did to him, let alone be with him again. And being friends with the blonde would be just too painful. And he was certain Naruto was interested in any kind of friendship from him either.

As the rain ended so did their fight. Sasuke heard Naruto say a few words, but he wasn't listening at the time. His mind was in turmoil, and there was only so much he could absorb. He assumed Naruto was apologising or saying something comforting. Sasuke didn't need pity or meaningless comfort. He was not weak. But he was not strong either, not right now. Naruto had always been and would always be his weakness. He loved and hated that about him.

He knew now.

Naruto had told him he was happy and that he loved this girl, and all of Sasuke's anger drained out of him. The truth really did hurt. All Sasuke had ever tried to do was make Naruto happy, but in the end he just caused him pain. But this girl, she was able to make him happy. And if Naruto was happy, that was all that mattered to Sasuke. Even if it wasn't because of him.

So Sasuke left. He was surprised when Naruto had chased after him. He had an indescribable look on his face, his blue eyes locking with his own. Sasuke had smiled faintly. Only Naruto would run out into the rain with a t-shirt and cargo shorts on. He had given the Dobe his jacket, and then turned to leave. But not before he looked back at Naruto. It was only for a few seconds, but it was enough.

The raven had then turned around again and started walking, the tears streaming down his face, mingling with the water of the rain.

Sasuke had been an idiot to believe that Naruto would actually wait for him, eagerly anticipating Sasuke's return to Konoha and ready accept him with open arms. He was naïve. Sasuke had hurt Naruto too many times, and choosing his career, choosing his father over Naruto had been the last straw. The wound was too deep. Naruto had moved on now. Of course he wouldn't stay single forever.

He was not like Sasuke, who could only find true love once. He knew he would love Naruto forever, no matter the circumstances. That would never change. He couldn't even think about giving himself to another. Naruto was the one he wanted, but Sasuke had blown his chance with him so it didn't matter anymore.

But it did. And Sasuke slowly found himself losing control. He had achieved his goal. His lifelong ambition. So why did it feel so meaningless? He didn't feel any different than he did 3 years ago. There was no sense of accomplishment. There was no pride in his achievement. The only thing that had changed was that Sasuke had felt emptier than he had ever been, even before he had met Naruto. It was worse now, after having known him and then the feeling of loving him and then the pain of losing him, the hurt was all becoming too much.

Sasuke had thought that once he had seen the energetic and cheerful blonde after so long the pain would instantly vanish. But ever since then it had only gotten worse. Hearing Naruto be so short with him, so distant, felt like a punch in the stomach, which Naruto had also given him. Naruto had said he wanted to leave before he ended up hating Sasuke, but judging from their previous encounter it seemed that had already happened.

_Did he end up hating me after all? Well, I wouldn't blame him if he did. _

Sasuke then felt his mind wander to a particular moment he had looked back on many times. Every time he always thought of what he could have done instead, but no matter how much he did it was useless, because the result would always be the same.

_Sasuke had just entered the bedroom, pulling off his tie and sighing as he slipped out of his shoes. It had been another long day at work, once again yielding no results in bettering the market in Suna or his relationship with his father. Strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and he straightened from the sudden contact._

"_Welcome home." Naruto said, nuzzling into Sasuke's neck as he held him close._

"_Hello, Naruto." Sasuke said tiredly, looking sideways at his boyfriend who was still nestled into his neck._

"_I missed you." Naruto whispered, pulling Sasuke closer to his chest. _

"_I missed you too." Sasuke said dismissively, his eyes vacant and staring, completely unreceptive of Naruto's presence._

_He really wasn't in the mood tonight. It wasn't as if he liked being so tired he barely had any time for Naruto. But he was working non-stop these days. He had a feeling his father was looking to give him a promotion if he improved his sales over western Japan, and he had been working non-stop to increase the profit margin, which had so far been fairly unsuccessful._

"_Naruto, can I get changed? I really just want to go to sleep." Sasuke said, slightly pulling out of Naruto's hold. Then, Naruto's arms vanished as he released Sasuke. Sasuke was about to go have a shower to freshen up when Naruto's hand caught his wrist and spun him around to face him._

"_Why won't you talk to me Sasuke? Tell me what's wrong and I can help you. I promise I'll do anything I can!" His eyes flashed with anger and frustration, tightening his grip around the Uchiha's wrist. _

_Sasuke looked at him through his emotionless mask. He couldn't tell Naruto that it was because of work and, more predominantly, his father. Naruto didn't need to be bothered with such trivial matters. Sasuke was fine, he just had to readjust and everything would be okay again. He let out a tired sigh as his ebony eyes locked with the crystal blue ones._

"_It's nothing you need to be concerned with. It was just a really long day at the office and I'd like to go to bed now."_

_Naruto looked as if he didn't believe Sasuke, that he didn't want to let him go, that he wanted to say more. But he simply released Sasuke's wrist and looked up at him with an unusual seriousness in his tone._

"_You hardly talk to me anymore. You can tell me anything you want, 'ttbayo. I'll always listen."_

_Sasuke felt his body tense when Naruto spoke those words. He knew he was sharing less with Naruto these days, but that was because all he had to talk about was his stupid work problems. He didn't want to bore Naruto with that. That's why he let Naruto do most of the talking, but it seemed that Naruto was beginning to notice his change in behaviour. Sasuke picked up his pyjamas and walked to the bathroom, stopping to speak before he went in. _

"_I know."_

"Sasuke. Are you listening?"

The stern commanding tone of his father brought Sasuke back to reality. He morosely looked up at his father, who was fixing him with one of the famous Uchiha glares. It was clear he had been expecting some form of response from his son, but Sasuke hadn't been interested in listening in the first place. His father let out a sigh and placed down the clipboard, folding his hands in his lap and looking directly at his son.

"What's going on? You've become very unresponsive these days. Up until our return to Konoha you had been functioning very well, completing all your tasks quickly and efficiently."

Sasuke looked straight into his father's eyes. There would be no avoidance, no flicker in his gaze. Because an Uchiha did not dance around the issue. They targeted it head on, dealt with it and got back to business. And Sasuke wouldn't let his mask falter.

"Nothing is wrong, Father. I am fine."

"Is this about the Uzumaki boy?"

Sasuke's form stiffened and his emotionless gaze slightly faltered for a few seconds before he quickly collected himself again. That always happened when someone would mention Naruto. He would lose that indifference constantly present on his face and display some visible emotion.

_How does he know?_

"Itachi told me everything." His father said, as if answering the unspoken question in Sasuke's head. His father sighed and looked at Sasuke with a slight disappointment, his previous pride not completely gone, but fading fast. It never lasted long.

"Sasuke, if you cannot be counted upon to have a stable control on your emotions then I don't know if you're suited to become the next CEO of Uchiha Corps."

Hearing his father say those words three years ago would have crushed Sasuke. His father was basically saying that he was not good enough at the current point in time to become what Sasuke had always aspired to be. His world should be crumbling down around him, and he should be desperately pleading with his father to reconsider, that he would do better. But Sasuke felt none of this.

Sasuke looked out at the rain that was pouring down, coating the city sleekly in a way that only a good downpour of rain could do. He kept his gaze on the window as he spoke words to his father that he never thought would leave his lips.

"It doesn't matter to me what you do anymore. Do as you wish."

Fugaku Uchiha blanked at his son's response. Had he heard him right? Was this really Sasuke? Sasuke, who would always have some sort of new trick to show him every day when he came home after work. It didn't sound like him at all, and Fugaku was going to get to the bottom of it. He spoke in a firm, commanding voice to not only his son, but his employee.

"What's happened Sasuke? What about all the drive and focus and hard work you put into this corporation? Are you just about to throw it all away?"

Fugaku heard his son chuckle humourlessly, then he was met with the image of his son, an incensed look in his eye as they looked directly into the other's onyx coloured eyes. Then, Sasuke decided to break the stare and speak.

"What did all this hard work get me? Happiness? I haven't been happy in a long time, Father."

A crease appeared on Fugaku's forehead as he furrowed his eyebrows, looking at his son oddly. He knew Sasuke wasn't exactly a happy person. That was expected, he was his son after all. But he thought he held some form of happiness somewhere in his heart. Sasuke had been working so well, but lately, he noticed the cracks appearing in not only his work, but Sasuke himself. Fugaku had become concerned. He didn't like when his children wouldn't speak to him. God knows he had enough trouble in making Itachi forgive him years earlier from a falling out they had. He didn't want to make the same mistake with Sasuke. Fugaku was reeled back into reality when he heard Sasuke's voice, and he turned his gaze onto his son.

"You…I was always trying the best I could to impress you, to make you look upon me with the same pride and admiration you bestowed upon Itachi. You have no idea just how much I craved your recognition, your praise. How much I devoted myself at becoming the best I could be, to meet your expectations. But most of all I wanted you to look upon me with pride. And I finally achieved that. I should feel happy, shouldn't I? I should feel relieved. But I don't. All I feel is this mundane emptiness."

The slightest flicker of emotion crossed Fugaku Uchiha's eyes before they returned to their hard, stony state, as if it had never appeared at all. Did Sasuke want his recognition so much that it became the central focus of his life? But he had recognised Sasuke. Not just now, when he was younger as well. He just chose not to show it in front of Sasuke, fearing he would become egotistical and arrogant. All he wanted was for Sasuke to succeed in what he did. Every parent wants that for their child. When Sasuke spoke, his tone was so listless, yet a spark of defiance was felt in them.

"And do you know what? I'm sick and tired of it. I'm sick of this life, sick of this job, and I'm sick of you. "

Fugaku was snapped back to reality by Sasuke's insubordinate reply, and he narrowed his eyes threateningly at his youngest son. When he spoke it was with a forced calmness in his voice, masking the rising anger he was starting to feel well up inside him.

"Sasuke, I implore you to think carefully about what you say next. If you don't then–"

"What? You'll give me the cold shoulder, refuse to speak with me, ignore my presence when I'm near you? Go ahead. See if I care." Sasuke interrupted, leaning forward to look at his father defiantly. His voice had risen with the level of anger that had doused him profusely.

In turn Fugaku finally felt his own temper reach its limit, and he began to speak in a louder voice, filled with more anger, glaring at his son.

"How dare you speak to me like that! Not only am I your father, I am your boss as well. You will show me some respect."

Another dry chuckle escaped the youngest Uchiha, as he shook his head and put his hands on the table. He was very restless, and his emotions were running all over the place, anger colliding with frustration and desperation mixing with sadness, all of them combining in a massive whirlwind of emotions. And when he spoke his eyes glinted in a rebellious manner, an unknown behaviour shown towards his father.

"If you want to talk about respect, Father, I suggest you take a look at yourself first."

Fugaku's eyes widened and then narrowed, his rage spiking at the insolence his son was currently displaying. He was reminded of the time when he and Itachi had argued, and felt his morale drop when he realised he had made the same mistake. Making a mistake is bad, but making two mistakes is even worse.

"Excuse me?"

"Why should I grant you any respect when you couldn't grant the same courtesy to Naruto?"

Father and son stared at each other. Fugaku had been quite impressed that Sasuke had shrugged off the company of girls, instead choosing to focus on his career. But then one day he heard his son talking about a certain boy, and how he was unbearable. Sasuke was so irritated and annoyed by this boy, and Fugaku had never seen his son so bothered by another person before. It wasn't too long after that that Fugaku had figured out Sasuke held some deeper feelings towards this boy.

This Uzumaki boy was Sasuke's weakness. Whenever he was mentioned, Sasuke would become distracted. Whenever he was around, Sasuke could see no one else. Fugaku had no idea what had attracted his son to such a person in the first place. Sasuke was clean-cut and intelligent. He was of a high class and had the noble blood of his clan running through his veins.

But this Uzumaki boy, he was nobody. He had no parents, he was not of immaculate or even substantial wealth, and he seemed very rough around the edges.

Yet when Fugaku had told Sasuke to break it off with him, Sasuke had refused to. He had even threatened to leave Uchiha Corps and never speak to him again, if Fugaku pressed the issue any further. So Fugaku left it alone, figuring his son really was serious about this boy. It lasted for five years before they finally broke up, which was inevitable in Fugaku's eyes, as he knew his son wouldn't sacrifice such a job opportunity for the sake of a relationship. And Sasuke had appeared to take it quite well.

Although he was more detached than he had ever been before. And never again did he let anyone in close to his heart, which had never really sat well with Fugaku. He didn't like the idea of his son being lonely. Fugaku took a deep breath before facing his son, offering him a piece of advice he hoped would help.

"Again with him, Sasuke. He's just some good for nothing boy. There are plenty of other people just like him out there. Different, better people who have so much more to offer you–"

Sasuke's anger was paramount as he pushed away from his desk to stand, now yelling at his father at the top of his lungs. Sasuke felt his insides burn, his entire body coursing with fury. He had never felt so angry at his father before. He wanted to scream at his father until his voice was gone. He wanted to shake him senseless. Anything to make him understand. Rage was washing over Sasuke like the rain was washing down over Konoha.

_How could he say that? There's nobody like Naruto…nobody…_

"I don't want anyone else! And don't talk about Naruto like that! You didn't know him! You never even tried to get to know him! He tried so hard to make you respect him, and accept our relationship. But you just ignored him completely, as if he wasn't even a part of my life! And he was a part of my life. A big part. And for some reason I justified your actions. I don't know what I was thinking."

Fugaku looked up at Sasuke, a calmer expression marring his face than that of his son's. It was rare of Sasuke to lose his temper, much less with Fugaku of all people. But Fugaku knew he wasn't a victim of the anger Sasuke felt towards someone else. He was on the receiving end of that anger.

"Sasuke, I was trying to make you see, I'm still trying to make you see, that you don't need him. You were perfectly fine before he entered your life. Breaking it off with him was the right decision, and from what I've heard you two were drifting apart anyway."

"Shut up! What do you know? Nothing!"

"I-I never wanted him to leave! I…I made the wrong decision that day. I made the biggest mistake of my life that day, and it was all for this."

Sasuke picked up a particular award that had been framed. It was for his continued efforts throughout some year or another. Sasuke really couldn't care less at the moment. He was paying attention to the silver frame it was placed inside.

"This…what's so great about this?"

_As Sasuke left the bathroom his gaze fell upon a silver frame on his bedside table. Curious, Sasuke picked up the silver photo frame, glancing at the newly placed photo inside it. It was of him and Naruto, the day they had moved in. _

_**The Dobe actually kept the photo? **_

_Sasuke's eyes flicked over to Naruto, who was grinning up at the camera happily, and he felt his face soften with a tenderness he was not known to display so openly._

_**It's not all that bad, actually. **_

_Naruto then exited the bathroom, noticing Sasuke standing beside the bed and staring down at the new photo he had put up. He walked up to Sasuke and smiled, looking down at the picture as well. _

"_I thought it would be nice to have a picture of us. It's a really great one, don't you think?"_

_Sasuke felt himself smile, still looking down at the picture._

"_Yeah. It's great. I love it."_

_Sasuke then raised his eyes to meet cerulean ones and leaned in to give Naruto a kiss, who gladly received it. Sasuke could tell he was smiling, and that made Sasuke smile too._

Glass was then heard shattering as Sasuke threw the silver framed award to the ground. Broken pieces of glass were scattered all around the office floor. Fugaku could only stare in shock at his youngest son, completely dumb-founded at his behaviour. Sasuke then started to pick up the other photo frames that held his many awards and accolades collected over the years. One by one smashing noises rang through the office and most likely the entire floor.

"It's all so pointless! Everything…everything I have is worthless!"

The smooth leather office chair was abruptly turned over by Sasuke, causing a loud crashing sound to vibrate off the office walls. Its wheels were spinning wildly, and a few of them had fallen off. Fugaku just stood there, making sure he stayed out of the way of Sasuke's erratic behaviour. He couldn't control him when he was like this.

"I HATE THIS! I HATE IT!" Sasuke yelled, pushing many important documents and papers off the desk violently, and Fugaku merely watched as they fluttered innocently to the floor. Sasuke was fuming with rage, his eyes were narrowed in such anger Fugaku had never seen on his son before.

"_What's wrong?" Sasuke asked, putting the newspaper down on the table and crossing his arms, looking across at his lover, who had been very quiet for a while now._

_Naruto immediately lifted his head, looking up from his untouched bowl of cereal. He was looking at Sasuke with an indecipherable look for a minute before a huge, annoying grin was plastered across his face._

"_There's nothing wrong with me 'ttbayo! I'm fine!"_

_Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blonde, scrutinising him under his gaze. He could always tell when that grin was forced onto Naruto's face. Because whenever it was a real smile it would always reach his eyes, making them sparkle and shine in the most beautiful way that made Sasuke smile too. This smile didn't meet his eyes. He leaned forward, fixing Naruto with a hard look, breaking through the façade he was putting on._

"_Naruto."_

_Naruto sighed and waved a hand at the air dismissively, an annoyed look now occupying his face. _

"_I'm fine Sasuke. Stop being such a nagging bastard."_

_**Why can't he just tell me what's wrong? He's never hidden anything from me before.**_

_Sasuke studied the face of his lover, wondering what was going on behind that false expression of his._

"_I think I know what's wrong."_

_At this Naruto's eyes widened and he met Sasuke's gaze instantly, looking at him with hopefulness in his eyes._

"_You…you do?"_

_Sasuke nodded and reached out a hand to pick up his coffee, taking a sip before responding._

"_Yes. And trust me, I'm going to fix it."_

_Further surprise was evident in Naruto's response, and his eyes became even wider, if that was even possible. _

"_Really?"_

_Sasuke nodded once more, leaning forward in his chair. He reached out a hand towards Naruto, taking it in his own and holding it. He saw Naruto staring at him expectedly, waiting anxiously for Sasuke's answer. _

"_Of course. Don't worry. I've started to look for houses on the market. I've found a couple of nice ones, but they're still expensive. But I'm going to take on extra night shifts. One day we'll have enough money to buy our own place."_

_Naruto's face slightly fell, and for a second Sasuke thought he saw disappointment and sadness in his lover's eyes. But it must've been a trick of the light because he was grinning at Sasuke again, with his eyes closed and his smile wide. But there was still something bot quite right about that smile. Sasuke just couldn't figure out what._

"_R-Right. Yeah. That's great, 'ttbayo."_

"Sasuke! Calm down!"

The loud, authoritative voice of Fugaku Uchiha rang throughout the office, as he finally decided to intervene, before Sasuke destroyed the entire room. He pulled Sasuke away from his desk drawers, which he was flinging out of his desk. Sasuke tried to fight off his father's grip, and he struggled quite a bit. Sasuke was just as strong as Fugaku, the only advantage he had was his more solid build. Sasuke was very strong, but he was also quite slim. He kept a tight hold around Sasuke's upper arm, and fiercely yanked him around to face him.

To say that Fugaku was shocked would be incorrect, as he didn't get too shocked very often, his son's outburst being one of those very few rare exceptions. But he was certainly surprised to see tears collecting in his son's eyes. He hadn't expected that. He then felt Sasuke go limp in his hold and a faraway look occupied his face as he stared into space. His voice was thick when he spoke, and very unstable.

"I don't…I don't want this life anymore…"

_Sasuke awoke to the sound of a bird singing outside their window. He cracked open his eyes and looked over to his side, expecting to see a sleeping Naruto. But there was no one there. The space was empty. A slight breeze from the window directed his gaze towards the balcony. There he saw Naruto standing, still in his pyjamas and looking out at the streets of Konoha. _

_Sasuke was confused. __**Since when was Naruto an early riser? **__Sasuke decided to get up and see what was wrong. Naruto had obviously heard the movement as he had turned around, looking straight over at Sasuke. He then seemed to forcibly pull a smile onto his face as he walked over to his lover, stopping directly in front of him._

"_Ohayo, Sasuke." He said. Then, he walked past Sasuke and out the door, without saying another word. _

_It was the same every morning to how Naruto would greet him. _

_Only this time he was not lying next to Sasuke. _

_Only this time he had not been smiling that stupid smile that Sasuke had grown to love so much. _

_This time, Sasuke had seen tear tracks on his face instead._

Sasuke dropped to his knees, body shaking uncontrollably exactly as it had done three years ago when Naruto had left him. He covered his eyes with his hands, sobbing into them. He didn't care that he was crying in front of his father. He didn't care that it made him weak. He didn't care that he had destroyed his office and all future prospects of ever working at Uchiha Corps again. A shaky, broken voice spoke through the sobbing, barely audible but clear enough that Fugaku heard it. And when he did he truly realised just how hurt his son was.

"I just…want…Naruto…"

Fugaku let out a sigh and crouched down beside his son. When he didn't look up or acknowledge his presence, Fugaku did something that he hadn't done for a very long time. He slowly wrapped his arms around his youngest son, and pulled him into a hug. Sasuke gasped, taken aback by the sudden contact. He was even more shocked when he looked up and saw it was his father who was holding him. Sasuke widened his eyes as fresh tears fell over his old ones. Could this really be his father? When was the last time they had hugged? Sasuke couldn't remember, and right now all he knew was that he didn't him to pull away. Tentatively, Sasuke put his own arms around his father and hugged him back, continuing to cry.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke."

As soon as the words left Fugaku's mouth Sasuke began to cry harder, tightening his grip around his father. In this moment Fugaku was reminded of the little 8 year old boy who had taken a terrible fall and had cried into his father's shoulder, and Fugaku had been surprised how he had been the first one Sasuke had run to. Somehow over the years they had lost their way. Sasuke had been desperately seeking his father's approval, hurting himself over and over again for him. And Fugaku had focused all of his attention on Itachi, neglecting his youngest son and ignoring his efforts, even though on the inside he was proud of Sasuke. He always was and always would be.

They had become strangers to each other, but it wouldn't be like this anymore. Now the walls had been broken down and they would never go up again. They had reached a new stage in their relationship, and after today father and son would work better on becoming father and son, repairing the damage caused over 26 years.

_One year later…_

The café was buzzing with the many casual conversations of the customers, contently eating and drinking with friends, family or lovers.

It was a busy evening. Naruto had had to call on the entire gang to help him. He handled taking the orders and preparing the food, while Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Sai served the food quickly and effectively. They had become a much more cohesive team, and they were always improving. It made Naruto feel sort of proud of them. They had all worked so hard and put so much into the café, and they were finally being rewarded for their hard work.

The past year had proved very fruitful indeed. But his business wasn't the only thing that was taking off.

He had become even closer to Hinata, and the two had made the most of their newfound intimacy. A few months ago the two had been on an outing and Hinata stopped, looking in through the glass window of a shop. Naruto had assumed she was looking at jewellery of some type, and walked back over to her to see what she was interested. He got quite the shock when he found she wasn't looking at necklaces or earrings. She was looking at rings. In particular, the engagement rings.

At the same time the two had looked to each other, and Naruto knew. He could see it in her eyes. She wanted to marry him.

Before he had known what he was doing he had turned, smiled at Hinata and then grabbed her hand and pulled her into the shop, telling the assistant to help his future fiancé pick out an engagement ring, because he would surely pick something a little too out there for someone like Hinata.

And that was that. They were engaged to be married in a week. Naruto was constantly bombarded with 'Congratulations' and 'Hinata's a lucky girl' and 'You two make such a sweet couple', and many other compliments he couldn't care to remember at the moment. It was nice how so many people thought they were right for each other. That they were meant to be. That they made a perfect couple.

But after a while Naruto found the praise to become tiresome, and often he had to stop himself from saying something rude or uncustomary. And he knew the person to blame. That is, one Sasuke Uchiha, his ex-best friend and ex-lover.

Ever since Sasuke's shock return last year, Naruto had found himself thinking about Sasuke every now and again, which confused him, because if you're in a relationship you're not supposed to think about your ex "every now and again", right?

He just kept replaying their conversation that rainy night, the way Sasuke had exploded, then deflated, then exploded again, which made Naruto explode. Then they actually physically fought, something they hadn't done for a long time. It was really nostalgic of their high school days, when the two would get into so much shit for starting fights in the corridor. He did that a lot too now. He remembered things he and Sasuke did, and it was starting to make him feel a little paranoid.

Sasuke was gone. He may be back in Konoha, but to Naruto he was still as far away as he was when he was in America. Naruto hadn't seen Sasuke since that last encounter, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. All he knew was that every night when the rain would pour down he would glance out the window, expecting to see that same dark figure waltz into the café and demand a coffee right before closing time.

Did that mean he wanted to see Sasuke? No, it couldn't possibly mean that. He was still mad at Sasuke, and had definitely not forgiven him. However he found he didn't hate Sasuke. All these years he had told himself that he hated Sasuke for leaving him and for what he did to him. Although when he came face to face with him, Naruto found that although he felt angry, he was surprised Sasuke had actually come to see him. He had figured that Sasuke would never return into Konoha after leaving for America. There were so much more opportunities for him there than here But he had come back, after three years. He must've improved the market, just as he said he would. Naruto was just so confused.

When he had seen Sasuke last year, something in his face had changed. He was different to before. There was no stony look in his eyes, no closed off expression shutting him out. He was completely open that night. And as much as Naruto didn't want to believe it, he knew Sasuke was telling the truth when he said he wanted Naruto to be happy. There was such…sincerity to his words. But even so, Naruto wasn't stupid enough to hope for anything more than what he saw in front of him. It was over between them. That much was certain.

Love can only take things so far. A deep physical, mental and emotional understanding of each other is required. How can one truly love another when they don't understand a thing about the person they claim to love? Sasuke kept things to himself. He had shut Naruto out. When he had troubles he dealt with them himself, choosing to not involve Naruto in such affairs. He hadn't given Naruto all of his trust, while Naruto had given himself to Sasuke fully. Heart, body and soul. So how could Naruto stay with someone who could never give all of himself to him? He couldn't. That was the simple truth.

So why did his thoughts always lead him back to Sasuke? What was he searching for? He had to get a grip. He was being ridiculous. _Be happy, you idiot. You're with a great girl, you have your own business, and you're getting married. Stop moping already._

Naruto sighed, leaning on the counter as he faced his oncoming customers with a smile plastered to his face.

He hadn't had much time to think about his ex-boyfriend for quite a while, what with the planning of the wedding and the business. It was still a sore subject for Naruto. But now he found as things were getting more serious with Hinata that he couldn't get his ex-lover out of his mind.

As Naruto began taking orders, he found himself pondering what Sasuke was doing right now. He wondered how he was, and if he was seeing someone. That caused a sharp pain in his heart he hadn't expected. Well, it wasn't unrealistic. Sasuke was an attractive guy that caught the attention of every woman he encountered and almost every man. He knew that Sasuke would have another lover in his future that he would love just as much, maybe even more than he could have ever loved Naruto.

Naruto was pressing so hard on the pencil that he broke the lead, which caused him to come out of his musing. He apologised profusely to the customers and quickly located another one, jotting down their orders in lightning speed. _What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be so concerned with him. He isn't a part of my life anymore therefore I don't need to think about him._ Naruto subtly sighed, so as not to lose face in front of his customers.

"You okay, bro?" Kiba asked as he grabbed the coffee ordered previously to take over to the customer's table.

Naruto plastered another big grin on his face, giving Kiba the thumbs up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just excited, that's all!"

Kiba nodded and walked over to the table. As soon as Naruto was sure he wasn't looking he dropped his smile and turned around, beginning to whip up a fresh jug of coffee. He absent-mindedly dropped the coffee beans into the jug, adding boiling water to it.

He was really distracted a lot more these days, also the cause of one black-haired bastard. No matter how hard Naruto tried to forget about Sasuke, it just seemed to make him remember Sasuke more. Inexplicably and unexpectedly, he found himself remembering all of the things that he had loved about Sasuke. The way his smile seemed to change his entire facial features. How his hair jutted out in raven spikes. And then there was his body…

"ARGH! WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING?!" Naruto yelled, banging his head down on the counter.

Silence engulfed the café, every occupant's eyes upon the owner, who was appearing to have a minor breakdown. Naruto sensed many eyes upon him and cringed as he brought his head up from the counter, meeting the stares of his customers. He smiled sheepishly at them, scratching the back of his head as he addressed them, fixing the mess he had gotten himself into. He noticed the orange juice he had poured into the jug instead of milk and inwardly cursed, then cheered as he came up with a solution.

"I, uh, hehe, I poured some orange juice into this coffee instead of milk. Don't know what's wrong with me! Be careful folks, you might find bacon bits in your donut!"

The café hummed with the laughter of the many customers, as they looked on in amusement at the very entertaining owner. Comedy was always Naruto's way of getting out of sticky situations.

5CS was becoming increasingly popular lately, and business was good. His relationship with Hinata was much more intimate now, which was really good. Everything was good.

That's what Naruto told himself, even if a part of him knew it wasn't.

XXX

The week passed by slowly at first, and then all of a sudden it jerked out of gear and accelerated. It flew by in no time. It was now two days before the wedding, and Naruto was in the café, trying out his suit. It was well past closing time, and there was not a soul to be seen inside or outside. The stillness made everything seem ten times louder, and Naruto let out a frustrated huff when he missed a button at the top of his shirt and had to undo all them, starting again.

He had bought his suit about a month ago, and hadn't even tried it on. He just looked for his size, picked the most decent looking one he could see, and bought it. The price was not a problem, seeing as how Hinata and her family were of the more wealthy side of town. Somehow Naruto always seemed to attract the expensive people, when he himself was worth less than the beds they slept in. He guessed it was just him, as that was what people told him when he asked. He had this way with people that made almost anyone like him. He didn't mean to do it. It was just the way he was.

So he was trying it on now, two days before the wedding. He decided it wouldn't be a good idea if he put it on the day of the wedding and found it didn't fit. Naruto didn't think Hinata's father would be too pleased to see his eldest daughter marrying a guy who walked down the aisle in jeans and a tank top.

The closer the wedding date came, the further Naruto wanted it away. He didn't want to believe he was having second thoughts about marrying Hinata. Despite his confusion over the past year, he did love her. She was always so kind to Naruto, so caring, and she would drop everything instantly if ever he needed her for anything. Her beauty was beyond that of any other girl he had met, and she could aim her sights much higher than Naruto, but out of all the suitors she had she had chosen him. It made Naruto feel special, in a way that he had rarely experienced before. He hadn't felt this way since Sasuke told him he had defied his father in order to stay with him.

_Dammit…why do I always end up thinking of that bastard? I'm so sick of this. I wish he had never come to see me. _

Naruto knew he had to get over whatever the hell was wrong with him. He was starting a new life now, and there was no time for this kind of thinking. He just had to not think about him, and think about her instead. She was the object of his affections, the one who made him complete. She was everything he ever wanted.

There was no one else he could ever want.

XXX

Sasuke knew it was late. He knew it was way past closing time. But that was exactly why he had to go. Even if there was the smallest chance of seeing him again, he wouldn't miss it for anything.

He stopped outside the small corner building, looking up at the name of the café. It hadn't changed from the last time he saw it.

Light was seen filtering out through the closed blinds, and Sasuke felt his heart beat quicken.

He was in there. This was it.

The bell tinkled as Sasuke opened the door. Then, he saw something that took his breath away.

Naruto was standing in front of a mirror he had obviously carted into the café, because Sasuke didn't remember its presence from the last time he was here. He was dressed in a stunning black suit, currently fixing his cufflinks. He wore a simple button-down white shirt underneath, with a simple black bowtie that hung around his neck. His gorgeous blonde hair rose in gentle spikes, giving him a ruggedly handsome look. His bright blue eyes were now narrowed in concentration as he attempted to tie up the bowtie, and he let slip many colourful curse words as he continued to fumble with the garment. Sasuke smiled. _Still the same old Naruto._ Then, he walked silently up behind the distracted blonde, materialising in the mirror view behind him.

"After all this time, I really thought you had changed."

Naruto's form visibly stiffened, and his bright blue eyes looked up and met Sasuke's in the mirror. He stopped fidgeting with his bowtie and stood there, shocked yet again at seeing Sasuke's presence in his café. It wasn't even close to closing time and he had just shown up here? He really was one of the strangest people Naruto had ever met, and that was one of the reasons why he had loved him. A strained voice barely was heard through his lips as he stared into the face of the one who had plagued his mind recently.

"You…"

Sasuke remained unaffected by Naruto's shock, acting non-chalantly as always. He stood with his hands in the pocket of his suit, and his tie was still straight and in perfect place around his neck. Sasuke never was one for looking tired or unpresentable, in public or private. He made sure he always looked fresh and clean-cut, as if he was just starting the day.

Naruto was the complete opposite. He preferred the comfy and casual look. It made him look more appealing and approachable to not only his customers, but people as well. He did dress up when the occasion called, but never when he was not required to.

"Really, I mean you're running your own business, quite successfully I might add, and yet, you still cannot tie a bowtie?"

Naruto's face contorted in anger and he roughly turned around, yelling straight into Sasuke's face. The shock didn't last as long this time. Seeing Sasuke was unexpected, but the shock quickly vanished when Sasuke opened his mouth and spoke.

"Shut up you bastard! It's a difficult skill to master you know!"

Sasuke smirked and moved closer to Naruto, reaching out his hands and to straighten Naruto's bowtie, which was twisted from Naruto's many attempts at tying it. Naruto stiffened under his touch and quirked his eyebrows at the unexpected gesture.

He should have probably pushed Sasuke off, and told him he was fine and didn't need his help, that he could do it himself. But the reality was, although embarrassingly true, Naruto couldn't tie it up himself. There was no one else here to help him and he had to make sure the entire suit fitted properly. So he huffed in defeat and turned his head away so as not to meet Sasuke's gaze.

All of these moments were supposed to be huge, some dramatic and emotional experience at seeing your ex-love again. But every time Sasuke always made it seem so simple, as if he had just been out for a while and not for a few years. Naruto supposed it was because they had known each other for so long, every time they met things just slid back into place. Well, except the lover part.

"So I assume this attire is for something important. You hardly ever wear a suit and when you do it's not for something trivial." Sasuke said as he crossed the larger end over the shorter one, pushing it through the loop and tightening it.

Naruto rolled his eyes, diligently trying to ignore the scent that was coming off Sasuke. It never changed. Always the same and always so tantalisingly bitter-sweet, Naruto really loved how he smelled. At this thought Naruto mentally slapped himself and swallowed subtly, licking his lips so his voice wouldn't sound scratchy from his dry mouth. "I was just trying on my suit for the wedding."

Sasuke then tossed the dangling end of the bowtie over Naruto's shoulder, pulling up the other one to fold back over itself to the right. Naruto couldn't help but look at him, and felt heat collect in his cheeks when he noticed the close proximity of Sasuke's face to his. Naruto hoped Sasuke wouldn't look up, and just continued on tying his bowtie.

"A wedding, huh?"

"Yeah, I uh, I've asked Hinata to marry me."

This time when Naruto spoke, Sasuke stopped his meticulous tying of the bowtie, appearing frozen for a minute. Naruto wondered if Sasuke still held some sort of feelings for him, even though he shouldn't care. But he did care. If his reaction was any indication there had to be something there, right?

"I see."

After a minute or two Sasuke resumed tying the bowtie, dropping the raised end of the tie over the bow he had made. His eyes were still focused on it. He hadn't looked up once at Naruto.

"When's the wedding?"

"Two days."

Sasuke merely nodded and grabbed the left and right sides of the horizontally-folded end, pinching them together in front of the dangling end. His lack of response grated on Naruto's nerves, That was it? He had nothing to say? No objections? No congratulations? Just dull neutrality? As he often did when in the presence of Sasuke, Naruto's tone turned harsher and his words crueller.

"Yeah, I just, I realised that I really loved her, probably more than I could ever love anyone, so I just went for it."

He stopped to look up at Naruto when he spoke for the first time, his eyes betraying nothing.

"It's good you've finally found someone who can give you such happiness."

Well wasn't that the shock of all shocks? No Sasuke begging on his knees for forgiveness. No Sasuke beating the shit out of him. In fact he became uncertain whether this actually was Sasuke, because of all the ways for him to react to such news, Naruto had not imagined this one. He expected at least some sort of a rise out of Sasuke, and was unexplainably annoyed when he didn't receive one. He continued to provoke the Uchiha.

"Don't you care? Doesn't it bother you that I've moved on?"

"It's not for me to say who you should or shouldn't marry. It doesn't matter what I think." Sasuke had returned to the bowtie once more, feeding the middle of the dangling end back through the knot he had made earlier. Naruto grit his teeth together, deciding to get up close and personal.

"What about you? Have you got a new boyfriend? Or maybe you have multiple ones, just so you don't get too bored."

Sasuke didn't speak until he had tightened the bow by pulling on the opposite sides and halves at the same time, creating a perfectly neat bowtie of which Naruto had strived for. Reluctantly, Sasuke removed his hands from Naruto's chest and took a step back, looking at his past lover, almost…longingly.

"No. I've only ever had one boyfriend, and I don't intend to have any more in the future."

Naruto scoffed, turning back to face the mirror and straightening his jacket, smoothing out any creases he saw.

"I'm sure someday you'll find someone who's worthy enough for the love of the great Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke remained standing behind him, and locked eyes with Naruto for a moment before looking away to a particular spot in the café, sliding his hands back into his pockets and letting out a deep exhale.

"I already have. The problem is that although I've found him, I can never have him."

Naruto felt something twist painfully inside his chest and he scrunched his eyes up as if to will it away. Why did it hurt so much? _I'm getting married in two days, so what the hell am I doing feeling upset for? Dammit Sasuke. Why do you have to do this to me? Every time I think I've gotten myself sorted out you show up and spin everything out of control again. _

Naruto fiercely whipped around, capturing Sasuke's attention and holding it. His eyes were narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed, a clear sign of anger welling up inside him. Yet Sasuke maintained an unperturbed appearance, looking back at Naruto as he spoke.

"Why don't you understand? I can't love you anymore? Okay?! I just can't!"

"I know."

That threw Naruto a little off guard. Sasuke never usually agreed so easily. Something was wrong, and Narutos curiosity overtook his anger.

"Why did you come here Sasuke?"

"Don't worry. I'm not about to go all rom-com on you and spout some romantic nonsense on how I object to this marriage and ask you to run away into the sunset with me. I think you know that's not my style anyway."

Sasuke paused and Naruto held his breath. If Sasuke did not come back here to convince Naruto not to get married, then why the hell was he here? Sasuke drew in a deep breath and released it softly, speaking his words slowly and evenly.

"I'm leaving, Naruto. Tonight. And this time it's for good."

All the wind was knocked out of Naruto and his eyes widened at the impact the words had on him. His body began trembling, and although it was not visible to Sasuke Naruto felt he knew that internally Naruto's body was going completely haywire. He couldn't speak, his throat closed up. All he could do as stare at Sasuke. Sasuke was…leaving? For good? Meaning that he'd never return to Konoha, to Japan, ever again? Even if he did on the rare chance return, it would most likely be on family business and he would have no time to see Naruto. They would never see each other again. Naruto had to stop himself from clenching a hand around the excruciating pain coming from the left side of his chest. Sasuke continued to speak, and Naruto zoned in on his voice, focusing all of his concentration on listening to him, or else he would pass out.

"I know that I was a terrible boyfriend. I was distant and unwilling to let you in, even when I felt closer to you more than I have with anyone else in my life. You've given me so many things I thought I'd never be able to have Naruto. You gave me a sense of belonging. You showed me what true friendship is and how far it can go. But most importantly, you made me feel loved."

A torrent of emotional turmoil rained down upon Naruto. He had lost all control over his emotions. A fist tightly clenched at his side, pressing so hard he could feel his nails digging into his skin. Sasuke was saying too much too fast. Naruto barely had enough time to process it all. But still Sasuke spoke, his words rushing out one after the other.

"And I understand now. You have found someone who can give you that love. And that makes me happy, because when you truly love someone you'll do anything to see their happiness. Even if it hurts you, so much that you think you'll break from the pain of it all, still you'll endure it. That's what true love is."

Naruto was on the brink of losing control, and the next words Sasuke spoke pushed him right over the edge.

"You two...are meant to be."

"SHUT UP!"

His voice echoed around the entire café, and even though there was no noise at the moment, had there been a roomful of customers everyone would have stopped their conversations immediately. Naruto was incensed, his face the perfect picture of rage. His chest heaved with heavy breaths and his eyes burned straight through Sasuke, piercing him with their steely blue hue.

"Just shut up. How dare you show up here, unannounced, _again_, and start telling me about my life, like you know it all! You're not a part of my life anymore, Sasuke! You haven't been for a long time. So just go. Leave. I don't care!"

"Naruto…"

Naruto shook his head, pulling at his blonde strands as he tried to regain a sense of calm.

"No! I don't want to hear how you love me, how you'll never forget me, because if you say that I don't know what I'll do…I…I…"

_I don't want you to leave!_

Naruto suddenly felt strong arms wrap around him and pull him into an embrace, and Naruto let out a gasp as he was pulled against Sasuke's chest. His scent engulfed him in an inescapable wave of intoxicating aromas mingling together. Sasuke never changed. He still looked the same, smelt the same and felt the same. But things would change after this day, and they would never change back.

"It's alright Naruto. You won't have to deal with this for much longer. After this I'll never bother you again. Please…please just allow me one last time, one last moment with you. I know I don't deserve it, but please."

Naruto said nothing, partly because he was speechless but partly because he couldn't trust his voice to remain stable. It was only now that it just hit Naruto. This was it. This was the last time he would ever see Sasuke.

It had been four years since that day. That day when it all ended. But Naruto remembered it as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. He could never forget the look he saw on Sasuke's face when he left. It was so raw and unmasked and so honestly heart-wrenching that Naruto almost gave in that night, but left before he had the chance to. Naruto could hardly fathom that such an emotion could be evoked from within Sasuke, and that Naruto had been the one to cause it to appear. It caused an enormous amount of guilt to gather around in his stomach, guilt which had neither weakened nor gotten stronger over time. It was always just…there. And Naruto knew in his heart it would be there forever. Because he could never truly forgive himself for what he did to Sasuke, neither could he completely forgive Sasuke for what he did to him.

_It seems that all we ever do is hurt each other…so how did we come to love one another this much?_

"Whenever we see each other we always fight. At least we don't have to worry about that anymore, huh?" Sasuke said quietly, almost as if he was speaking to himself.

"Shut up, bastard." Naruto bit out angrily, yet the defeat was clear in his voice. As much he felt the need to, he resisted wrapping his arms around Sasuke. That would just lead to further complications. He simply let Sasuke hold him, his eyes peeking over the top of Sasuke's broad shoulder.

When had everything gotten so messed up?

After a long time Sasuke finally retracted his arms from around Naruto, pulling away and stepping back from him. Naruto noticed his eyes looked glassy and glazed over, a tell-tale sign he would soon start crying, although Sasuke didn't seem intent on staying any longer. He turned, walked over to the door, and looked back. Tears clung to his dark, long eyelashes as he smiled a watery smile at Naruto, making his heart clench. Seeing Sasuke let his guard down was not something Naruto was used, not when he had always been so strong. When he spoke, his voice was filled with such sincerity to it that no one could doubt the truth he meant in his words.

"I really did love you. I always have Naruto."

And that was it. Sasuke opened the door and left. And Naruto just stood there, still staring after Sasuke even when he was gone. Naruto felt his stomach twist in knots, his palms were sweaty, and his heart was pounding so hard it was a wonder it didn't burst out of his chest. Naruto brought up a shaky hand and held it weakly against his heart, as if trying to stop the pain it was feeling.

"Sasuke…"

Turning back to look at himself in the mirror, Naruto's eyes caught on his bowtie. The bowtie had been tying just a few minutes ago, with his kind and gentle hands, always so patient when it came to Naruto.

Then Naruto's brain had one of those moments where it was no longer thinking sensible (well as sensible as Naruto Uzumaki could be) thoughts and completely gave in to his wild, reckless youthful side that he hadn't allowed to surface for four years.

He haphazardly turned off all his lights and power outlets, running around and making sure the back door was locked. Then he grabbed the keys and left the café, quickly locking it and running over to his car. The ignition roared into life and Naruto distractedly buckled in his seatbelt, raring away from the kerb and driving down the road, towards Konoha Airport.

He wouldn't have any regrets this time. Even though he wasn't sure what would happen, he would not leave so unfilled as before, with so many questions unanswered and so much left to say.

The only thing Naruto was certain of was that he would catch Sasuke no matter what.

XXX

People hustled and bustled their way through the crowd, trying to make it in time to catch their flight. The sounds of suitcases being wheeled across the smooth, tiled floor of the airport were heard, as well as the buzzing of people's voices. Some were chatting away on their phones, explaining how their flight had been delayed and they were going to be a little bit longer. Others were talking with the people around them, exchanging stories of where they were heading and talking about the little things in life that people inexplicably did.

And then there were the people who were saying goodbye to their loved ones, embracing them tightly as if they would never see them again. Sasuke had to look away when he saw a young couple that looked to be breaking up. The woman sobbed as she held close the man, who was dressed in a suit and carried a briefcase.

Suddenly a loud, female voice was heard booming through the speakers that hung all around the airport.

"Attention everyone. Flight Number 36 has been delayed approximately 28 minutes. It's scheduled to arrive at 12.58PM. We thank you for your patience."

There was a brief moment of silence before the noise began to well up again, slowly building like a wave about to crash down. Sasuke let out a sigh as he walked over to the plastic seats positioned near the boarding area.

"Sasuke! Wait!"

_It couldn't be…_

But as the figure came closer to him there was no mistaking it. He could never forget that shock of blonde hair that belonged to the person he loved the most. Sasuke slowly stood up from his seat and began to walk towards Naruto.

However Naruto was not walking, rather he was running towards Sasuke. He was still dressed in his suit and Sasuke was utterly confused as to what the hell Naruto could want.

As Naruto came closer and closer to him, he didn't slow down. It looked as if he couldn't. Sasuke was not going to let Naruto crash into him and land them both on the floor in a tangle of limbs. That would be just too embarrassing. So when Naruto was about a metre away from him Sasuke, he was prepared when Naruto ran into him, and reached to his arms to catch the blonde before he toppled over.

Sasuke fell back a few steps, and adjusted to a new balance, still supporting Naruto. The blonde looked up at him, panting and sweating. _He's always so reckless…_

"Naruto? What do you want? Why are you here?"

Naruto stood away from Sasuke, and removed his arms, which had latched around Sasuke's waist. Sasuke got the feeling that Naruto had been trying to catch him, and wasn't going to let him get away any time soon. His voice was a little breathless, but he was not to be deterred and spoke as clear as he could.

"Last year…you said that you would have given me the world if it would've made me happy. If that was true…then why couldn't you leave your job for me?"

At this Sasuke's eyes widened and on his face was a pure look of shock. He obviously hadn't expected Naruto to come all the way here to ask him about that. In truth he hadn't really expected Naruto remember those words he had said to him.

"What?"

"You thought my happiness was about not living in a place with peeling wall paper and malfunctioning toilet. You wanted me to have the things I deserved, that you were always used to. You wanted to provide a great life for us. I know that."

Naruto paused for a minute, which was good because Sasuke was stunned. Naruto knew all of what Sasuke was doing, and for why he was doing it. Despite what people thought, Naruto really was not an idiot. Naruto drew in a deep breath and continued, his gaze never once wavering from Sasuke's.

"But…what I wanted…more than anything in the world…was you. If I had you and only you I would've been the happiest guy in the world. "

Sasuke felt his heart rate double in speed, as it pounded loudly in his chest and throbbed painfully in his ears. Being with Sasuke and him alone…was enough to make that happy? Sasuke felt his hands start to tremble and he clenched them, not wanting Naruto to see just what a powerful effect those words had on him. Many people wanted Sasuke, some for his looks, some for money and some even for his job. But nobody ever wanted just him. Except Naruto. And that meant more to him than he could ever express in mere words alone.

Sasuke had really misread the situation entirely, and stupidity hit him harder than it had ever done before. How much had he missed out on because of his stupid ambitions and his blindness to what was in front of him?

"All I ever wanted was for you to accept that. But you never let me in. It was like…you only told me what you wanted me to know. We were in a relationship. We were equals. I deserved the truth."

Sasuke steadied his ragged breathing, willing himself to calm down. He had to tell Naruto. He had to tell him everything. This was his last chance to say all those things that had constantly invaded his mind. He cleared his throat softly, not wanting it to close up from the thickness he felt there.

"More than anything I wanted to say that I needed you. But my head told me that needing someone was weakness and weakness is not something an Uchiha can ever have. I feared that if I gave myself to you entirely I would become pathetic, dependent and lose sight of my dream. The thing I didn't realise was that…you had become my new dream."

Naruto's face had remained fairly neutral during Sasuke's confession, but the scepticism was as clear as day on his face. And there was something else, but it was indecipherable, which irritated Sasuke.

"It's a shame it took me breaking up with you for you to realise that."

Though the words struck a deep blow, Sasuke accepted them, because they were the truth. It was only after Naruto had broken up with him that he realised just how much he meant to him and how much he truly needed him. Sasuke cautiously took a step closer to Naruto, and looked at him until he caught the attention of the cerulean orbs he had adored all those years ago and still adored now.

"Listen to me Naruto. It's alright if you don't believe anything I've said. With all the excuses I have made over the years, I wouldn't blame you. But if there is one thing you can believe let it be this. I really am sorry for what I did to you. Of all the mistakes I've made, this one was the worst."

At this Naruto lost it, his temper reached its limit and he was just past the point of maintaining 'neutrality'. His voice rose with the aggravation he was feeling, his eyebrows narrowing in anger.

"This isn't easy for me either you know! I know you're hurting Sasuke, I know this is painful for you. But did you ever think it was just as painful for me?"

Clearly not, if Sasuke's face was any indication. Although Naruto couldn't blame him. Everyone thought he was happy, because he was such a happy person. No one could imagine him being sad or depressed. But he was human. He did get sad, most often when he thought about Sasuke. No one ever saw, because he wouldn't let them see.

"Do you know that there hasn't been a day, not one day, where I haven't thought of you? Something we did, something you said, that smile you showed when I least expected it. You don't know how hard it is for me. Some days…I can't even touch Hinata. Because when I do, I just think back to how you and I used to do the exact same thing! And it fucking hurts Sasuke, because it just reminds me that you chose your career…your father…over me."

As Naruto spoke his voice had gradually lost its anger, becoming sadder and losing its contempt, only filled with a long suppressed unhappiness.

"And that decision was the biggest mistake of my life! If I could go back in time I would never have made that choice!" Sasuke said, his voice rising slightly as the mention of that day was brought into the conversation.

"But you did make that choice! But hey, at least one of us got what we wanted, right?" Naruto said, his voice quite loud now that he was becoming more and more emotional. He always got over emotional when it came to Sasuke, and the same applied vice versa.

"You're wrong."

Sasuke's voice was quiet, yet loud, and controlled, yet dangerous. He was trying to get the message across that he wasn't joking now. Not that Sasuke had ever made a joke in his life. Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for whatever explanation Sasuke had come up with. He just wanted some answers, dammit! Sasuke eye's never once left his face, and Naruto found it difficult to not look at him. They each had a way of pulling the other into their gaze, whether they wanted to or not.

"As soon as you left, all I wanted was for you to walk back through that door again. My father's acknowledgement was still of course something I strived for, and I achieved that. The day when the market finally became profitable once more, Father entered my office. He made a trip especially from Japan to America, just to see me. He walked into my office, unannounced, and looked down at me. It was as if I was that 8 year old boy again. Except this time instead of the same old disappointment, I saw a look of pride. He was proud of me. That was the moment I had waited for my entire life. The one thing that I knew that if I achieved I would truly be happy. I had done it. But I didn't feel anything. That goal had become meaningless to me from the first month I had spent in America. You had become my goal from the moment I met you. I was just too stupid and too scared to realise it."

Functioning ceased in Naruto's brain and everything became out of focus and vague. A strange feeling was building up inside Naruto, and he was not quite sure what it was.

"Sasuke…you…"

All of what Sasuke had said to him, it had all been true. He did love Naruto. And he regretted leaving him as well, even going so far as to apologise. It was all too much. Hearing Sasuke say these things to him, things Naruto had only ever imagined and fantasised about during the early years of their break up, and even now, it was surreal. But Naruto had to know. He just had to know Sasuke's answer.

"Then why…why are you leaving if you love me so much?"

"Don't you get it? You have someone else to love you now, someone who won't disappoint you or hurt you. I was too late. I lost you. You are getting married. And I'm getting on a plane heading towards Okinawa. And I…I can't stay here and watch you get married, when one day…I…I thought that…"

He saw Sasuke struggle with the words he was trying to express, and for once he did not try to interrupt him or speak for him. Sasuke had never spoken so freely to Naruto before. He had become even more emotional since their last encounter. It made Naruto feel as though Sasuke had really changed, like he was becoming better. Sasuke regained his composure and locked gazes with Naruto as he spoke words that were surely painful to say.

"You are in love with Hinata. Not me."

Naruto realised what the strange feeling he was experiencing was. Frustration. He was so frustrated with Sasuke. He was making things so difficult, analysing every single detail. He spoke with such feeling but his actions displayed careful reasoning and meticulous answering. It was making Naruto mad. He was annoyed with Sasuke's prescription of his what he was feeling and who he loved. He took a threatening step closer to the Uchiha, glaring at him angrily.

"Would you shut up?! Quit telling me how to feel! I know how I feel and I don't need you or anyone else to tell me that!"

"Naruto – "

But Sasuke's words were never heard as Naruto launched himself upon the young Uchiha, capturing his lips in a kiss. Naruto flung his arms around Sasuke's neck to keep him from escaping, as he would surely try to do. He smashed his lips against Sasuke's, in a breath-taking kiss that caused that long-lost spark to ignite in his chest once more. _God, this feels so…good._

Naruto noticed Sasuke hadn't done anything yet, probably too shocked to either reciprocate or pull away. This frustrated Naruto, so he began to suck on Sasuke's lower lip, remembering that that had always been the key in getting Sasuke to kiss back in the past. He wasn't sure if it would still work but it was worth a shot. Naruto felt Sasuke shiver under his touch and sure enough, he began to return the kiss.

Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, pulling him in closer. This action caused the kiss to deepen and both men let out moans of pleasure. Naruto began to grow impatient and decided now was a good a time as any. He slowly ran his tongue across the bottom of Sasuke's lip and Sasuke parted his lips at the motion. Naruto took this chance to slip his tongue inside Sasuke's mouth. It was amazing. Naruto had forgotten just how good Sasuke tasted. It was nothing like the times with Hinata…it was a million times better. He ran his tongue all over the inside of Sasuke's mouth, wanting to taste all of him. He ran his fingers repeatedly through the dark, raven hair that was so perfectly styled. Then he felt a sudden jolt when his tongue met Sasuke's.

_It's been too long…_

They began to deepen the kiss, both of their tongues battling each other for dominance. In the end it was Naruto who had triumphed, but Sasuke didn't seem to mind.

Naruto didn't want to hear what Sasuke had to say, he didn't want to hear another diagnosis for his feelings. All he wanted to do was for the first time in a long time experience the feeling of what it was to embrace the one he truly loved. This kiss was like none other they had shared before. It was so passionate, so desperate and so full of longing. Naruto would have continued kissing Sasuke if it hadn't been for that damn thing known as oxygen.

So Naruto slowly and reluctantly pulled away from Sasuke, his blue eyes having darkened and his cheeks flushed bright red. Sasuke was just as blushed as Naruto was, which was quite amusing to see, and his hair had become messy from Naruto's hands constantly running through it. Their previously straight, ironed clothes were now wrinkled and crumpled, and Naruto's shirt was untucked.

But before Naruto could speak he heard his phone ring loudly in his pocket, causing him to jump a little at the sudden noise. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled it out and glanced at the caller I.D., and felt his stomach drop from its previous high. It was Hinata, no doubt wondering where the hell Naruto had gone. After all, they were getting married soon.

He chanced a glance up at Sasuke, who was staring at the phone in his hands. Then, as he looked up to meet Naruto's gaze, he immediately understood.

"You should answer the phone, Naruto."

Naruto made no move to answer his phone. He was caught in Sasuke's eyes. He couldn't look away. If he did, Sasuke might disappear again.

"She is your fiancé after all."

Suddenly a booming voice vibrated through the speakers close to them, distracting both from their conversation.

"Flight Number 36 is departing in 15 minutes. All passengers please prepare to board."

Two pairs of eyes met each other. They paid no attention to the crowd that was moving and shouting and talking. From the look on Sasuke face, Naruto could guess what was going on.

"That's your flight."

It was a statement, not a question, as if he already knew the question. Sasuke's eyes spoke the answer before his lips did.

"Yes."

Naruto gripped his phone tighter, feeling the weight of Sasuke leaving very heavily on his shoulders. _Not again. I can't…I can't lose him again…_

"Can't you…can't you stay a little longer?"

"I have to go, Naruto."

"But I don't want you to leave! That's always how it goes with us! You leave! You just leave me all alone! You left me four years ago and you're doing it all over again! Why are you such a coward for Sasuke?"

Naruto was yelling now. He couldn't hold it back any longer. It was happening all over again. Sasuke was about to walk away from him, and Naruto would have no choice but to walk away as well.

"I'm no coward, Naruto. You think I want this? You're getting married. Get a grip on yourself and stop chasing after something you know can never happen."

"Shut up! It doesn't matter anymore! I…I've never been the same since you left. I-I might seem like it. But you hurt me Sasuke. You have no idea how broken you made me. How many times I wanted to crawl back to you and beg you to take me back, to love me again. But I…I couldn't."

"And look at what you achieved? You opened up your own successful business, bought a new apartment and gained a wonderful fiancé. You did that all on your own. You didn't need me then and you don't need me now."

_No, Sasuke. I've always needed you. Ever since I met you I knew that I needed you. Why can't you need me as much as I need you?_

"Why…Why does it have to be this way? I don't want this!"

It was so unfair. Naruto just wanted to run away with Sasuke, away from this town and away from his life. He wanted to follow him, to be with him. But he also didn't want to leave Hinata. They had been through too much together, and he wasn't sure he could live a life without her constant love and support. She was what kept him grounded when he needed it most. Hinata needed him.

A sigh emitted from the raven as he looked on at the confused and upset blonde. God, he loved that man. Everything about him, it was breath-taking. It was a terrible thought that he would be married in two days, never to be his again. He just wanted to take Naruto with him, consequences be damned. Although he knew that was impossible. He needed Naruto to understand, and if that meant being a little harsh than he would do it.

"I told you that I wanted you to be happy. And I do. I won't be the cause of your marriage breaking apart. If I am to stay, who's to say that I'll be able to keep myself away from you? I'll follow you, waiting for the moment when you need me, because that just how desperate I am for you. What then? An affair behind Hinata's back. What if she is to become pregnant? Your child, Naruto, could very well one day walk in to find his dad sucking off some stranger–"

"Stop! STOP IT! That's enough, Sasuke!"

Naruto began to cover his hand over his ears, his face scrunched up in great discomfort. The message had gotten across loud and clear, and Naruto was not taking it well. Yet, Sasuke pressed on.

"Is that what you want? To become one of those lowlifes who cheat on their wife and leave their kid? I won't let that happen because of me. I'd never forgive myself. She truly loves you. And I can tell you love her too. Treasure that love. It's too precious to let go that easily."

And Sasuke turned around, picked up his bag, and started to walk towards the boarding area. But Naruto was too quick for him, bolting after him and grabbing his upper arm, spinning Sasuke around to face him.

"Wait, dammit! I–"

"Naruto, please."

Naruto eyes widened dramatically and he felt pain stab at his already broken and bruised heart. Tears were sliding down Sasuke's usually stoic face silently. His eyes were glassy and it made his obsidian orbs shine in the light.

"Just…stop."

Staring at Sasuke, Naruto was reminded of some words Sasuke had spoken to him not that long ago. When he heard them he didn't pay them much attention, but now they were ringing in his ears loudly and repeatedly.

_Because when you truly love someone you'll do anything to see their happiness. Even if it hurts you, so much that you think you'll break from the pain of it all, still you'll endure it. That's what true love is._

"Sasuke…you…"

Sasuke stared into his eyes, and neither moved for a while. Naruto still had a grip of Sasuke's arm. He didn't want him to run away. He just wanted this moment to freeze. He wanted to stay with Sasuke forever. He didn't want to go back to Hinata.

_Hinata…_

Naruto felt a wave of guilt crash down over him. He thought of Hinata, sitting on the couch back at their apartment, probably worrying herself sick over where Naruto was. How could he face her again after this? He didn't deserve her love, her compassion. He didn't deserve Sasuke either. He didn't really deserve to have anyone, let alone two people. If he kept this up all he would do is hurt the ones he loves. And more than anything Naruto didn't want that.

"Don't you understand? I just want you to be happy. You can't find happiness with me. And as much as I want to…and I really want to…say yes, I can't. You need to forget about me. You need to go marry Hinata and become a father and have everything you've ever wanted."

Everything hurt. Keeping up the façade that he didn't love Sasuke anymore hurt. He did love him. So much. But he loved Hinata as well, and Naruto knew that someone's heart was about to get broken. With every word Sasuke spoke, Naruto began to truly realise the magnitude of what this meant. There was no happy ending this time. This was not a fairy-tale, it was reality. It's not like in the movies where the guy catches the girl before she leaves him, making a last-minute, mad-dash to the airport. Nothing was ever that simple. That is the nature of reality, in essence, it is the denial and reminder of the things that exist in our imaginations, and how they can never be.

Naruto said nothing. He couldn't say anything. All he felt was pain. Sasuke was leaving him. Sasuke loved him, and wanted to be with him. But he was leaving him. Because he loved Naruto. It was all so stupid, and Naruto wished things could go back to how they were before. All those years ago when he and Sasuke were so happy and young and completely in love. Those days a distant memory. They both had responsibilities now, they were no longer the naïve kids they once were. Both of them knew what they had to do, and it hurt just as much as it did the last time, maybe even more.

Sasuke stepped closer to him, placing his hand over the one Naruto held around his arm. As he spoke he gently took Naruto's hand in his and slowly removed it, forcing the connection between them to become lost once more. Yet he still held onto it, and Naruto didn't even think of pulling it away.

"You can't always live your life by what your heart tells you, Naruto. Sometimes you have to ignore it and listen to the voices in your head, even when you know it's wrong."

The two stared at each other, and neither made a made a move when the loud mechanical voice echoes across the bustling airport.

"Flight 36 is leaving in 10 minutes. Any last minute passengers please board immediately."

Naruto loosened his grip on Sasuke's hand and let it go, looking him straight in the eye. He didn't know what to say. He was never really good at goodbyes, especially when he was saying it to someone he would never see again. His mind clicked back to what he said to Sasuke the first time he left him. Simple was what Naruto did best, and it made everything seem less serious than it really was. So he spoke his last words to the one he loved for the longest time.

"See ya, Sasuke."

Something flashed in Sasuke's eyes, and he leaned in closer towards Naruto. He stopped when their faces were mere inches apart, and Naruto could feel his breath on his face. Then, he pressed his lips against Naruto's in a soft embrace. It was just a touch, a single brush of two lips against one another. Naruto couldn't help it when he felt his eyes slide shut, and didn't even care when he felt tears slide out of them and down his cheeks.

There was no one like Sasuke. A deep, passionate kiss with Hinata was nothing compared to this tender touch of the lips with Sasuke. That knowledge only further widened the hole in his heart. How was Sasuke able to evoke so many emotions in him from a single touch?

All too soon Sasuke pulled away from him, fresh tears falling down over his old ones. Naruto felt the wetness in his own eyes but didn't even care. A shaky voice whispered something to Naruto, and he smiled faintly when he heard his last words.

"Later, Naruto."

Sasuke's eyes lingered on him as did his on Sasuke's. Neither wanted to look away first. But they had to. There was no turning back. And so simultaneously the two turned around and walked their separate ways. And for once, neither of them looked back, only forward. They were no longer stuck in the past. They were heading to their futures.

As Sasuke boarded the plane and took his seat besides the aeroplane window, he looked out it as he often did and became lost in his thoughts. Unspoken words he longed to say to his only lover echoed in his mind, over and over again.

_I'll never forget you, Naruto. I know we should call this goodbye, but I can't bring myself to say those words to you. To do so would mean the end of everything we ever shared or ever had. And I, I know it's selfish, but I don't want that to happen. I'll always think of you, no matter where I am. Always. And one day, perhaps I'll have a coffee. And perhaps, if I'm lucky enough, it will be one of yours._

Naruto sat down in his car and closed the door. He rested his hands on the steering wheel, staring blankly out of his windshield. Thoughts and emotions swirled restlessly in his mind, words he knew he should've said but never did.

_Don't worry Sasuke. I won't forget you. I know you want me to, but since when do I listen to you anyway? Besides, even I wanted to, it would be impossible. You'll always have a place in my heart. And who knows? Maybe one day you'll stop by, unexpected as always. I'll keep the lights on for you._

And then a plane was seen flying over Konoha skyline, while a car drove in the opposite direction down the road. Both paths were uncertain, but that was okay, because it was fated they would cross once more. A road may split in two, but it always joins back together in the end.

The End.


End file.
